Echinacea plant named ‘Mount Hood’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Echinacea  plant named ‘Mount Hood’, characterized by its upright and bushy plant habit; freely flowering habit; inflorescences with white-colored ray florets subtending the receptacle and also developing at the apex of the receptacle; strong flowering stems that hold the inflorescences upright; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Echinacea purpurea.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Mount Hood’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant, botanically known as Echinacea purpurea, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Mount Hood’.

The new Echinacea is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Echinacea purpurea cultivar Double Decker, not patented. The new Echinacea was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of the cultivar Double Decker grown in a controlled environment in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands during the summer of 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the new Echinacea by micropropagation since the autumn of 2004 in a controlled environment in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands has shown that the unique features of this new Echinacea are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Mount Hood has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Mount Hood’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Mount Hood’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea:

-   -   1. Upright and bushy plant habit.     -   2. Freely flowering habit.     -   3. Inflorescences with white-colored ray florets subtending the         receptacle and also developing at the apex of the receptacle.     -   4. Strong flowering stems that hold the inflorescences upright.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Compared to plants of the parent, the cultivar Double Decker, plants of the new Echinacea differ primarily in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Double Decker have pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of the Echinacea cultivar Alaska, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,547. Plants of the new Echinacea differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Alaska in inflorescence form as plants of the cultivar Alaska do not develop ray florets at the apex of the receptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Echinacea. The photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Echinacea.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Mount Hood’ just before flowering grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical open inflorescence of ‘Mount Hood’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands during the spring and summer in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Echinacea production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 22° C. and night temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 16° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were about two years old when the photographs and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Echinacea purpurea cultivar Mount Hood. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Echinacea     purpurea cultivar Double Decker, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By micropropagation.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About three weeks at 15° C. to 20°             C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fleshy; color, 162C.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright and bushy plant habit;             freely branching habit with about eight lateral branches per             plant; terminal inflorescences held upright on strong             peduncles. Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 70 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 40 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 30 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Internode length: About 8 cm. Aspect: Upright. Strength:             Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 146B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 20 cm.         -   Width.—About 5 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Cordate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; rough.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 146A. Developing             foliage, lower surface: 147B. Fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: 137A; venation, 147A. Fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: 147B; venation, 139B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Rotate composite inflorescence form with ray             florets subtending and also developing at the apex of the             receptacle. Freely flowering habit, about 25 inflorescences             develop per plant. Inflorescences mostly terminal;             occasional axillary inflorescence development at upper leaf             axils; inflorescences held upright on strong peduncles.             Inflorescences persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Time to flower.—Plants flower continuously from July through             August in The Netherlands.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about six weeks on the plant.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About             2 cm. Shape: Conical. Color: 137D.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4 cm. Depth (height):             About 5 cm to 7 cm. Disc Diameter: About 1 cm. Receptacle             height: About 8 mm to 10 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 8 mm             to 10 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 5 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate; fused into a short             corolla tube. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Number of ray florets subtending the receptacle:             About 40 arranged in one or two whorls. Number of ray             florets arising from the apex of the receptacle: About 80             massed together in numerous whorls. Aspect, lower florets:             Horizontal to drooping. Aspect, upper florets: Upright.             Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             155C. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 155C. Fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 157B.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex five-pointed. Length:             About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 120. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Immature: Apex, 144C; mid-section, 141C; base, 155A. Mature:             Apex, 17B; mid-section, 141C; base, 155A.         -   Receptacle spines.—Quantity: One per disc floret. Length:             About 5 mm to 7 mm. Width: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Shape:             Acicular. Apex: Sharply acute. Base: Tapering. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: 17B.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About four to six in             a single whorl. Length: About 8 mm to 10 mm. Width: About             2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 137A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamens per disc floret:             One. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color: 199B.             Anther shape: Rounded. Anther length: About 8 mm. Anther             color: 145A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 162C.             Gynoecium: Pistil length: About 3 mm. Stigma shape:             Bi-parted. Stigma color: 149C. Style length: About 4 mm.             Style color: 149C. Ovary color: 149C.         -   Seeds/fruits.—Seed and fruit development has not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Echinacea have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Echinacea. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Echinacea have been observed     to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures from about −20° C. to about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant named ‘Mount Hood’ as illustrated and described. 